G.  When a Brand-Name Product Is Included in the Agency's Enterprise Architecture, an Additional Justification Should Not Be Required

Comment: One respondent noted that a Government agency is now required to have an Enterprise Architecture for its information-technology (IT) systems. Once the Enterprise Architecture has been approved, the respondent believed that contracting officers should be able to purchase brand-name IT equipment described and identified within the Enterprise Architecture without any justification, bypassing the posting requirement. The respondent proposed that, as a minimum, there should be provision for standardized maintenance agreements with a single company.

Response: If an agency's Enterprise Architecture includes brand-name IT equipment, this fact will be a critical element in the brand-name justification. It does not eliminate the requirement for the justification or posting the justification.